Nodeweed (Synedrella nodiflora)

Jotang kuda or nodeweed (Synedrella nodiflora) is a species of plant in the Asteraceae, herbaceous annuals, erect or lying at the base, forked branches repeatedly, up to 1.5 meters high, cylindrical stems, dark red or green in color and white hair.

S. nodiflora has leaves sitting opposite to the stalk-shaped chamfer, 0.5-5.5 cm long and hairy around it. Egg-shaped strands are elongated, the base is narrowed along the stalk, the tip is pointed, the margins are serrated and hairy on both surfaces.

Compound flowers in small bulbs, 8-10 mm long, seated or short-stemmed, containing 10-20 flowers clustered together, clustered in terminals or in leaf axils, 1-7 bulbs together. Protective leaves are oval, elongated, pointed ends and hairy.

Peripheral flowers have 4-8 units with yellow bands, 2-3 peduncles and 2 mm long. Tubular disc flowers, 6-18 items, bright yellow with bright yellow spurs. The anther tube is blackish brown.

Hard fruit with two kinds of shape. The fruit of the periphery is very flat, winged and serrated at the edges and ends, while the fruit of the disc flower is long narrow with 2-4 needles at the tip. 0.5 cm long.

Jotang kuda often grows in plantations, yards, roadsides, fences, waterways, fields and abandoned lands. Young leaves are sometimes used as a lalab. This plant is also used as a liniment to relieve rheumatism.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Subtribe: Ecliptinae
Genus: Synedrella
Species: Synedrella nodiflora

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